Television

by David-Elijah Nahmod

HBO's "The Deuce," premiering Sept. 10, might
convince people considering a life in the sex trade to make another career
choice. This dark, gritty, serialized drama follows a group of people plying
their sexual wares in New York's Times Square in 1971. The show's title is a
reference to the nickname for West 42nd St. between 6th and 8th Aves. The
Deuce, these days a family-oriented tourist trap, was then a seedy stretch
filled with dive bars, filthy adult theaters and filthier hotels. The first
episode so effectively recreates the atmosphere of the 42nd St. of old that it's
almost possible to smell the steam rising from the manholes in the sidewalks.

James Franco gives two powerful and very distinct
performances as twin brothers Vinnie and Frankie. Vinnie is a barman who finds
himself in debt to the mob to the tune of 50 grand, thanks to Frankie's
excessive gambling. Though it isn't revealed in the premiere episode, in future
episodes those debts will push the brothers into peddling pornography.
"The Deuce" recreates the rise of New York's adult film business
during the early- to mid-1970s.

In the series' freshman outing we see the disintegration of
Vinnie's home life. His wife flaunts her cheating and does not appreciate how
hard he works to feed the family. Vinnie leaves his wife in disgust and moves
into a cheap hotel, where he sees a pimp cutting one of his "girls"
because she didn't want to "work" on a cold, rainy night. Both are
customers of his at the bar.

Maggie Gyllenhaal co-stars as Candy, a tough-as-nails hooker
who has no qualms about telling a young john that this is nothing more than a
job to her. We see how different her street life and her private life are when
she goes home to her apartment and listens to her answering machine. Her
landlord wants to deal with some plumbing issues, and her mom wants her to
visit her son. We later see Candy at her mom's house. It's hard to believe this
is the same person who was walking the streets of The Deuce the night before.

Gyllenhaal also gives two distinct performances. In interviews Gyllenhaal has said
that she researched her role by reading "Porno Star," the
autobiography of real-life 70s porn queen Tina Russell, and by studying "The
Rialto Report," a website that documents the history of the porn industry.
Though it focuses primarily on straight porn, "The Rialto Report" has
made several entries regarding gay porn.

Men and women shed their attire with equal abandon, and the
nudity is surprisingly graphic, even by HBO standards. There's a brief shot of
a man getting a hand job in a phone booth. He's seen fully erect, albeit for a
quick second. There's another penis shot when Candy gives a teenaged customer
his birthday blowjob.

But there's a lot more going on here than just dick and tit
shots, there's character development. Viewers will see the human side of these
lost souls. In one moving sequence a prostitute sits in her john's apartment
while they watch the classic 1930s film "A Tale of Two Cities." She
cries because it's a sad movie. He cries because he's lonely and just wanted
some company. After the film she asks him for extra money: she has to answer to
her pimp for taking time to stay for the movie. The old man hands her another
roll of bills.

"The Deuce" is disturbing and fascinating. It's a
daring production. HBO should be applauded for having the courage to green-light
it. Look for it on Sept. 10 at 9 p.m.